Part 11 (1/2)

”Why, what for?” murmured Billy still struggling with the focus. ”Oh, now I can see them fine! Oh, aren't these just wonderful--and such little things, too--are you going to use them to hunt horses?”

”No, they're yours!” returned Wunpost with a generous swagger, ”I've got another pair of my own. I'll never forget how you picked me up that time, so this is a kind of present.”

”A present!” gasped Wilhelmina and then she paused and blushed, for of course she had known it all the time. They were small gla.s.ses, for a lady, but it was nice of him to say it, and to mention her finding him on the desert. And now her mother would have to let her keep them, for, they were in remembrance of her saving his life.

”It's awful kind of you,” she said, ”and I'll never forget it--and now, won't you show me how they work?”

She drew a little closer, and as her curls brushed his cheek Wunpost reeled as if from a blow.

”Sure,” he said and gave her a kiss just as if she had really asked for it.

CHAPTER XIII

WITH HAY HOOKS

It is no more than right that the first kiss should be forgiven, especially if no one is to blame, and Wilhelmina forgave him very sweetly; but there was a wild, hunted look in Wunpost's bold eyes and he wondered what would happen next. Something had come over him very suddenly and made him forget the restraint which all ladies, even in overalls, laid upon him; and when their hands had touched some great force had drawn them together and he had kissed her before she knew it.

But instead of resisting she had yielded for a moment, and then pushed him away very slowly; and he still remembered, like part of a dream, her heart beating against his breast. But it was all over now, and she was toying with the field-gla.s.ses which he had brought from the city as a present.

”Isn't it wonderful,” she said, ”how we first came together? And the first place I looked for when you gave me these gla.s.ses was that wash where you made your two fires.”

”If you'd had them then,” ventured Wunpost at last, ”you'd've been able to see me plain.”

”Yes,” she sighed, ”but I found you anyhow. Doesn't it seem a long time ago? And it was only the end of last May.”

”Something doing every minute,” burst out Wunpost gaily, ”say, I've found two mines this summer! What did old Eells think of the Stinging Lizard? I hooked him right on that--he'll be careful what he grabs next time. And when he jumps the next claim of mine I reckon he'll sink a few feet before he builds any more ten thousand dollar roads!”

He chuckled and ran his hand through his tumbled hair, which always stood straight on end, but Billy was looking at him curiously.

”Mr. Eells was up to see us,” she said at last, ”and he claims you salted that mine. And he even told Father that you located it up our canyon just on purpose so we could use his road!”

”And what did you say?” inquired Wunpost teasingly. ”Didn't I tell you, right here, I was going to do it?”

”Oh, but you were just fooling!” she protested laughing, ”and I told him you did nothing of the kind. And then Father stepped in, when he heard what we were talking about, and he told Mr. Eells what he thought of him.”

”No, but I did salt the mine!” spoke up Wunpost quickly, ”there wasn't any fooling there. And, being as I had to locate it somewhere--well, the chances are Eells was correct.”

”Oh, that's just the way you talk!” she burst out incredulously; ”did you honestly do it on purpose?”

”Well, I guess I did!” boasted Wunpost. ”I just stopped over in Blackwater and told Mr. Eells all about it. So don't be worried on _my_ account--and he built you a mighty good road.”

”Yes, but do you think it was quite right,” began Billy indignantly, ”to make Father seem a party to a fraud? It's what some people would call a very shady transaction; but I suppose, of course, you're proud of it!”

”Why, sure I am!” returned Wunpost warmly, ”and you don't need to be so high and mighty. I guess I'm just as good as your old man or anybody, and I notice he's using the road!”

”He won't though,” answered Billy, ”if I tell him what's happened! My father is honest, he works for what he gets, and that road is just the same as stolen!”